InformedTrades

"Clearly the regime believes they have got to use more force and they have to get on top of this before it expands into more towns and gets beyond the capabilities of the security forces to be in all places at all times," Landis said. Syria has been a key opponent of U.S. and Israeli policy in the Middle East and a power broker in neighboring Lebanon. The U.S. and allied countries condemned the latest violence. They have criticized earlier attacks without taking any action beyond sanctions targeting government officials.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan's proposal to split electricity monopolies into generation and distribution companies as part of his plan to wean Japan from nuclear energy may be opposed by utilities as the nation faces power shortages. Kan's government last week announced its plan to diversify away from nuclear power after a public backlash following the Fukushima disaster, and shift to alternate sources gradually to avoid shortages and higher prices. The strategy will consider separating generation and distribution and encourage "various operators" to enter the electricity market, Kan said July 29.

The dollar represents 60.7 percent of the world's currency reserves, compared with the 26.6 percent for the euro, which has the next biggest portion, according to the International Monetary Fund in Washington. Ten-year Treasury yields fell 17 basis points, or 0.17 percentage point, last week to 2.80 percent, the lowest level since November. The benchmark 3.125 percent note due May 2021 rose 1 13/32, or $14.06 per $1,000 face amount, to 102 25/32, Bloomberg Bond Trader prices show. The yield fell to as low as 2.72 percent today in New York, the least since November.

Mechanics of the Debt Deal Immediately enacted 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction; balanced between defense and non-defense spending. President authorized to increase the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion, eliminating the need for further increases until 2013.    Bipartisan committee process tasked with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, including from entitlement and tax reform. Committee is required to report legislation by November 23, 2011, which receives fast-track protections. Congress is required to vote on Committee recommendations by December 23, 2011. Enforcement mechanism established to force all parties - Republican and Democrat - to agree to balanced deficit reduction. If Committee fails, enforcement mechanism will trigger spending reductions beginning in 2013 - split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending. Enforcement protects Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, and low-income programs from any cuts.     

The tentative agreement calls for at least $2.4 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years, a new Congressional committee to recommend a deficit-reduction proposal by Thanksgiving, and a two-step increase in the debt ceiling.

The Senate is scheduled to vote around 1pm (1800 BST) on a compromise thrashed out over the weekend between the Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell. McConnell, interviewed on CNN on Sunday, said: "We are very close. We had a good day yesterday. Both the president and vice-president called me … and they understand we have to come together." The deal would then have to go to the House of Representatives, which could be more problematic given the Republican majority.

Welcome to the final Sunday before August 2, the day the US is scheduled to default for the first time if no debt ceiling deal is reached. Last night a vote in the Senate was delayed to give The White House and Congressional leaders more time to hammer out a deal, which was said to be close.

The Senate's top-ranking Republican said Sunday that lawmakers are "very, very close" to an agreement to raise the nation's debt limit, as Congress works to meet an imminent deadline to stave off an unprecedented federal default.

ABC News has learned that Republicans and the White House have struck a tenative deal to raise the debt ceiling before the Aug. 2 deadline. It's not done yet, but here is the framework of the tentative deal they have worked out, according to a source familiar with the negotiations:  Debt ceiling increase of up to $2.8 trillion  Spending cuts of roughly $1 trillion Vote on the Balanced Budget Amendment Special committee to recommend cuts of $1.8 trillion (or whatever it takes to add up to the total of the debt ceiling increase)  Committee must make recommendations before Thanksgiving recess  If Congress does not approve those cuts by late December, automatic across-the-board cuts go into effect, including cuts to Defense and Medicare.

After the Senate promptly voted down Boehner's congressional plan, now it is the GOP's turn to return the favor after a House vote on Reid's bill is imminent at around 2:30 pm EDT, and will result in a vote down in kind. Furthermore, as The Hill reports, virtually the entire Republican block in the Senate has sent a letter to Reid expressing their opposition to his proposed legislation.

On August 2, the federal government will not have enough cash to pay for all of its programs and obligations. The U.S. will take in a total of $172.4 billion in revenue during the month, but its total payments exceed $306 billion, resulting in a $134 billion shortfall. If a debt-limit increase is not approved, the U.S. Treasury will have to choose among 80 million monthly payments and prioritize which programs are funded and which ones are not.

As the chances of a gaseous Congressional compromise to do nothing about deficit reduction grow larger, inquiring minds wonder just what might happen if nothing passes. Contrary to popular belief, the US would not default. Troops would still be paid. Medicare and Medicaid would not stop. The Bipartisan Policy Center has a nice analysis in a PDF on Debt Limit Analysis.

Demand for physical gold in China may exceed consumption in India by the end of this year, said Chuck Jeannes, chief executive officer of Goldcorp Inc. (G), the world's No. 2 producer of the metal by market value.

CNNIC (China Internet Information Network Center - 中国互联网信息中心) is the official Chinese state agency in charge of registering and managing internet domains (.CN) and traffic. Every six months, the research department of CNNIC publishes a set of reports providing the latest information on the development of China's internet sector. They are considered the most detailed source of data, but also the least credible. Nevertheless, CNNIC's semi-annual reports do provide an overview of China's internet trends and insights to its future.

The U.S. Treasury Department is planning to meet with bond dealers at noon in New York today to discuss next month's quarterly auctions of notes and bonds and the debt ceiling, according to people familiar with the meeting. The Treasury has canceled its regularly scheduled individual meetings with bond dealers in favor of the group meeting, according to the people, who declined to be identified because the meeting hasn't been publicly announced. All 20 primary dealers were invited.

Disposing of repossessed homes is one of the biggest headaches for lenders in the U.S., where 1,679,125 houses, or one in every 77, were in some stage of foreclosure as of June, according to research firm RealtyTrac Inc. of Irvine, California. The prospect of those properties flooding the market has depressed prices and driven off buyers concerned that housing values will keep dropping.

Colombia's central bank is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.5 per cent on Friday amid strong peso appreciation.

Stocks and Treasuries are moving in tandem twice as often as they normally do, a sign investors are growing convinced the U.S. will lose its AAA credit rating and that an impasse among lawmakers may spur losses in both markets.